On Monday, the White House confirmed that a U.S. admiral, acting under authorization from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ordered a second, "double-tap" strike on survivors from an initial attack on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in international waters. The move, part of a wider Caribbean and Pacific campaign, killed a total of 11 people in early September and has raised fresh questions about legality and ethics under the law of armed conflict.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Admiral Frank Bradley, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, "worked well within his authority and the law" when he directed the follow-up strike. In an X post earlier Monday, Secretary Hegseth said he "authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes," adding he stands by Bradley's combat decisions and hails him as "an American hero."
Legal experts, members of Congress and human rights advocates have criticized the so-called "double-tap" tactic—striking initial targets and then hitting rescue efforts or survivors—as violating the Pentagon's Law of War Manual. The manual explicitly warns that firing on shipwrecked personnel would be "clearly illegal." Democratic Senators Jacky Rosen and Chris Van Hollen say the September strikes may amount to a war crime, and Senator Mark Kelly has called for a congressional investigation.
On the Hill, Senator Chris Murphy accused Secretary Hegseth of "passing the buck," while Representative Mike Turner of the House Armed Services Committee said lawmakers are still waiting for a full briefing on the operation's legal basis. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has disputed reports that survivors were deliberately targeted, insisting the narrative is false and noting subsequent search-and-rescue efforts recovered some individuals.
The controversy has sparked debate over the U.S. approach to counter-narcotics operations, which the Trump administration frames as a fight against "narco-terrorists." Critics warn that aggressive tactics risk undermining international norms and fueling diplomatic tensions. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, for example, has accused Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for "imposing regime change" in Caracas.
As the legal and political fallout unfolds, observers are watching whether Congress will clamp down on the use of "double-tap" strikes and demand clearer rules of engagement. For a campaign that has, to date, resulted in more than 80 fatalities, the stakes extend beyond enforcement to the heart of U.S. credibility on the global stage.
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White House confirms admiral ordered 2nd strike on alleged drug boat
cgtn.com
